So your house is on the market and you have kids. It’s been done before. It’s done every day. But it’s not always easy. So here are 10 things you can do with kids during showings. Yes, age and interests matter! But if you can tweak any of these suggestions and it makes any number of showings a fun outing, we’ve all succeeded!
1) The Good Ol’ Park.
Some families hit the park every day. Some forget that they live close to one (or 10). Maybe choose a fun park getaway to one that that has a special playground or a splash pad or the coolest lake in town? It’s cheap, gets kids off technology and can be a lot of fun!
2) Ice Cream.
Whether it’s Dairy Queen, a local frozen yogurt shop, or a super inexpensive McDonald’s cone, you win with kids. Dairy-free? You know where you can go to get the favorite that works for your kiddos. But a cold treat (and they don’t even care if it’s a hot or cold day, frankly) always does the trick. Just make sure they eat it slowly! You may have some time to kill.
3) A Movie!
We won’t ignore the fact that movies are expensive nowadays. But if there is one you’ve promised the kids to see, do it during a showing! You can schedule the showing accordingly and the length of time to get to the theater, watch the movie and get home is likely the perfect amount of time to be away.
4) The Mall.
Mall walkers aren’t all senior citizens. You can get some exercise, the kids usually have a play area, you can pick up that pair of shoes you need and kill some time. Avoid the Lego store and the Pokemon kiosk if you need to, but there is plenty to do. And you can literally just walk around for an hour, not spend a time and head back home with spent kiddos.
5) Trampoline Park.
If the weather isn’t idea, take the kids to an indoor trampoline park. Whether bouncing to new heights on the trampolines or blazing through an obstacle course, their legs and lungs will work hard and they’ll be smiling from ear to ear.
6) Visit an Elderly Home.
There is a viral video of this little “cop” who went and handed out hugs and roses to people living in a home. Their joy was priceless! Check it out below. What a great way to share happiness, teach kids about giving back (and previous generations) and get out of the house for a while.
7) The Library.
We often overlook this free, precious, neighborhood resource. Whether it is storytime or you can just let the kids loose, enjoy all the library has to offer. We don’t encourage ignoring the books, but the media libraries (free movies!) have improved tremendously, as well.
8) Mom and Pop Toy Store.
If you have a local toy store in your area, go play! It is usually these smaller shops that really want people to come in and try things out. Ultimately, they will hope you’ll invest in a few items, but sometimes it’s just about seeing what resonates with children, building birthday wish lists, getting the word out about what they carry, and hearing kids’ happy laughter.
9) Grandparents’ House.
Every family has a totally different take on this. Either you already see them every weekend or they live far away….BUT if they live close and there just never seems to be “time” to go spend an hour with them (especially is someone is alone), this just may be that opportunity. It can brighten their week for one hour of sweet chaos.
10) The ZOO! Or the pool…or the museum.
Now we just sound like it’s easy, right? We know it’s not. There are costs and logistics involved. But with the right list of potential activities, a weekly budget and some short-term weather foresight, being prepared with ideas can help tremendously so you don’t end up sitting in the car eating Goldfish.
Do you have any other ideas of what to do with your kidos when you need to be out of the house? Share them with us or use the form below to find out how we can help you buy or sell your next home.
Christopher has been been in the Real Estate industry for 8 years and has had the opportunity to close over 1,000 deals while acting as the Managing Broker for thousands more. Christopher is passionate about continuing to find ways to simplify, maximize, and serve Trelora’s clients exceptionally well and spends his time building teams to deliver high levels of service. When not doing real estate Christopher can be seen training for marathons and ultra relays with his 2 year old daughter, eating pizza, and drinking a steady stream of Diet Coke.